James Teej - Seven Day Mend

James Teej - Seven Day Mend
There is a nascent sound slowly coming out of Toronto at the moment that hasn't quite been defined yet, but will most certainly start to make more sense in the coming months (and years) as James Teej, Art Department, My Favorite Robot, Nitin and more continue to release records. For now, it seems like these artists are kissing cousins of people like Soul Clap, Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, pushing a tech house sound that is undeniably as influenced by '80s pop as it is by America's West Coast house from the late '90s or Craig Richards' twisted evolution that soundtracked fabric for so many years.

You can hear it clearly in "7 Day Mend," the first single from Teej's Rekids album, Evening Harvest. It's got a dark mood, helped along by deep organ chords and an almost "Mumbling Yeah"-type vocal that repeats meaningless half-phrases throughout its length. But then another voice flies in behind everything, emerging as rhythmic accompaniment. Rekids mainstay Spencer Parker is called in for the remix, lengthening the seven-and-a-half minute original into nearly 13. To do so, he stretches nearly every part to its breaking point—the blippy organ melody, the long sustained chords, Teej's hypnotic vocals. With a two minute stretch in the track's middle without a kick drum, this one is most assuredly for the late night hours.